Weight loss is actually simple. It’s true: burn more calories than you consume and weight reduction will occur. While the math is straightforward and easy, making the right choices is a balancing act you are faced with several times per day, every day. The key to accomplishing the fastest and healthiest weight loss is to structure your lifestyle on a sturdy tripod of diet, exercise, and support.

Diet
Scientists are hard at work determining the very best foods to eat for weight loss and we would love to have a pure prescription for dietary perfection, but the truth is that doesn’t exist. Eat whole foods more often than processed foods, eat plants more often than animals, and eat smaller portions of everything. Don’t remove your favorite foods from your meal plans, just learn to savor the first 3 bites and eat each bite very slowly and deliberately. Some foods you will find no longer tempt you once you pay attention to their texture and flavor in such a focused way, particularly mass marketed chips and candies. Do keep a food journal, and experiment with computer based programs that help you estimate calories in the foods you eat every day. Don’t see the journal as a chore; see it as the best way to help you honestly determine your energy intake and expenditure to help you reach your goals ASAP.

Exercise
Do you love to exercise? If so, great! If not, why not? Is your definition of exercise too limited to include activities you enjoy doing? Since it’s all about burning more calories every little bit helps. Daily chores count for how many calories you burn and so does throwing a Frisbee with the dog in the park. If you don’t currently have an activity you love to do regularly that will get your heart rate pumping, you simply must try new things until you find a match. Quick quiz: what’s the difference between a chore and a hobby? The answer is how much you like doing it! Find a hobby or pastime that’s active enough to count as exercise and repeat as often as possible. If you already have that activity, find ways to do it more often and ways to up the intensity.

Support
The third and equally critical component of our lifestyle tripod is support. You will need the external support of friends and family to help you achieve your goals. If you have a supportive environment cheering you on to success it will happen faster and easier than trying to go it alone. Planning meals that are healthy and tasty for everyone will reinforce your goals and set good examples for the younger ones. Use your time with friends and family to enjoy active pursuits instead of just sitting at every social event.

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